


The Angels Were Crying

by B_Radley



Series: Gandalf's Way [14]
Category: Star Wars: Rebellion Era - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Remembrance, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-29
Updated: 2017-05-29
Packaged: 2018-11-06 03:49:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11028003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/B_Radley/pseuds/B_Radley
Summary: Three soldiers remember their dead and try to prevent another senseless death.





	The Angels Were Crying

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place around _Shadows of Hypori_. Ahsoka has been missing for about two months.

Cut Lawquane watches for another of his brothers. A brother who is mourning his own loss, but continuing the fight nonetheless.

Cut's own amber eyes close as he thinks of why he is here.

To ensure that another young one does not spend himself without reason. A young one as dear to him as if the boy was his own.

_Not a boy really. A young man. Not of my blood, but of my heart._

His adopted son Jek. Unaccountably, Cut starts to think of his batch mates, dead these nearly two decades. 

Dying in the fire of an explosion on a desert world, before they could even get into the fight.

He starts his litany. The litany of their names and a short phrase in his claimed heritage.

Ending with an entreaty that they are eternal as long as they are remembered.

He remembers.

He also remembers leaving the army behind. Leaving behind a hopeless war with he and his brothers the only true losers.

His eyes widen as he sees his appointment walk in and survey the small bar. Their similar eyes lock. Cut's eyes soften as he sees the full white beard and careworn face.

They lock eyes. Cut is struck by the pain and the emptiness in Rex's eyes. They nod as Rex walks over. Cut rises and they embrace, keeping their hoods up to hide their similar features. "Hello, Cut. Been awhile."

"I know, Rex. I am glad to see you are still alive and whole, brother." Cut says. He sees the eyes close for a second. 

"Alive, Cut, but I don't know about whole anymore."

Cut nods and places his hand over Rex's on the table. "I heard, brother. I mourn with you and will remember her. I only met her a few times with King, but she was an incredible person."

"I know," Rex says after a moment. He smiles gently. "I wasn't supposed to outlive her."

Cut looks up suddenly as a large shadow comes over the table. His eyes widen as he sees the largest being he has ever seen looking down at him with yellow eyes.

Eyes that grow into a smirk as he notices the similarity of features. "Oh, great," he says in a deep, growling voice, "another one."

Rex grins. "This is Zeb, Cut. He is with me." He points to Cut. "Zeb, this is Cut Lawquane. He is another of my brothers. One who has saved my life."

"Met a number of people who have saved Rex's ass. Gives me the idea that he might be next to useless in a fight." His grin belies his words as he sits down, his eyes on the door.

"So what is this about, Cut?" Rex asks. 

"I need your advice, Rex. You met Jek, right?" 

Rex smiles. "Yeah. Good lad. Probably comes from not being from your deece."

Zeb grins as he sees the farmer scratch his eyebrow with a middle finger. 

"Whatever, asshole. See you haven't laid off of the cake since I last saw you."

Rex rolls his eyes, but grins. "We're not getting any younger, Cut. What do you need?"

Zeb watches as Cut's own eyes grow pained. "Jek has run off. We are pretty sure he has left the planet. To go join the Rebellion." This last is said in a whisper.

"Cut, with all due respect, he is an adult..."

Cut holds up his hand. "I know. You misunderstand me." He takes a sip of his ale. "It started when we heard that Ahsoka was gone."

Rex's eyes sharpen. "Jek started pestering us to do something about it. He even got into a fight with some local Imperial sympathizers. Suu and I knew we had to do something. We tried to keep him calm; to steer him to something sensible at least."

He downs the ale. "Shaeeah has started learning how to fly. I am hoping that Dani or King might find her a place in one of their ships." Rex and Zeb look at one another. "But Jek couldn't wait. There was a recruiter that came. He filled Jek's head with all sorts of stuff."

His eyes track downward to the table. "Next thing I know, he is gone. Said he was gone to avenge Ahsoka."

The three fighters are silent. Cut looks Rex in the eye. "I know that you might sometimes think that I might not have a right to keep my boy safe, when I deserted after Geonosis." Zeb's eyes narrow. He remains silent as he sees Rex look downward. "I am not trying to keep him from the fight. Kamino knows that this one probably makes a lot more sense than the last one. I just don't want him spending himself needlessly for somebody's glory and shiny bits of tin."

Rex nods. "I know why you left, Cut. You were probably smarter than the rest of us, fighting for the glory of something that wouldn't even recognize us as sentient. Except for a few Jedi and Senators."

The names of those few Jedi go unspoken. Especially as there seems to be one less in the universe.

"I will look into this recruiter and see if I can find something out, Cut. Did you get a name?"

"He was a Zeltron. Said his name was Laken. Tori Laken." 

Rex and Zeb look at one another. Their eyes grow dark with thunder. "What?" Cut asks. "We have heard of him. He has kicked around several cells in the last ten years. The operative word being 'kicked,' as in 'kicked out of.' Rex grins. "Ahsoka and Commander Faygun did some kicking of their own, a few years ago on Zeltros."

Cut's own eyes grow dark. "We will see what we can do," Zeb says. "We know some hard-chargers that will look out for him, if he still wants to join." The Lasat grins. "What is he good at?"

"Boloball, pissing his father off, screwing half of the farmgirls around here. Need more?" his father asks sardonically.

"Okay, so it sounds like he might barely qualify for Drop's _Akuls_." Zeb says. All three of them laugh.

"We will look into it, Cut," Rex says. "We will talk to him, as well. Ahsoka wouldn't want anyone avenging her. It was not her way." None of the three can look at one another.

Later, as he watches the pair leave the cantina, Cut Lawquane's mind goes back to the bright day on a desert world. He remembers his Sergeant looking back at them; the click of his comm sounding in their ears.

Just as Cut's world erupts in flames. As his twenty-nine brothers leave him alone in the universe.

One of those he watches is lost in his own memories. Memories of a young, eager face, the first day he had seen it, earnestly telling him that she had better get some experience.

The last of the trio sees his dead as well. The dead of his troops of the Honor Guard as they fight their last against the Imperials. His own sisters and brothers.

_For all those who never became veterans._

**Author's Note:**

> "The angels were crying, when they carried his brothers away."
> 
> The Eighth of November.


End file.
